Who will live and who will die in The Falcon & The Winter Soldier? Following on from the events of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU's Disney+ output continues to explore the complexities of a post-Blip world, including repatriation, revolutionaries, poverty, and all the other things that Hulk didn't consider when he snapped the universe back to normal. Falcon & The Winter Soldier is a Captain America show without Captain America, reintroducing the various heroes and villains from Steve Rogers' MCU history. Falcon is working as a government-approved superhero, Bucky is undergoing therapy, Sharon Carter is in exile (supposedly) in Madripoor, and Baron Zemo is playing nice... for now. Meanwhile, there's a new Captain America who shows absolutely zero respect for Steve's "no swearing" rule, and a whole bunch of new (and old) super soldiers running amok.
Any MCU movie or TV show carries the potential of main characters dying, and Avengers: Endgame proved conclusively that Kevin Feige isn't afraid to get rid of Marvel's biggest hitters. With some franchise veterans among the cast, Falcon & The Winter Soldier is as likely as any MCU offering to kill off major characters, and that's especially true with the darker themes the Disney+ series dives into. Incorporating racial tensions, political turmoil and ghosts of Winters past, no one is entirely safe from the axe.
Examining every major figure in Falcon & The Winter Soldier, from hero to villain and everything in between, here's who we predict will survive the six-part miniseries, and who could be waving farewell to the MCU permanently.
Falcon's hi-tech Stark gear isn't the only armor he's wearing in Falcon & The Winter Soldier - Sam Wilson is probably the most protected character in the entire series. After Avengers: Endgame, Anthony Mackie looked just about ready to assume the Captain America mantle by replacing Chris Evans as Uncle Sam's sweetheart. Falcon & The Winter Soldier is backtracking a little, taking the time to explore Sam Wilson's reservations and misgivings before finally making the shield his own, meaning the series is very much a transitional phase in his MCU story. By the time Falcon & The Winter Soldier comes to an end, Sam Wilson surely would've embraced the legacy of Captain America, and sworn to uphold the wholesome values of Steve Rogers, allowing Falcon to become the new Captain America in any future MCU movie or TV series.
To kill Wilson in Falcon & The Winter Soldier would be to neuter his character just as things are getting exciting. Falcon's death would also constitute a betrayal of his climatic Avengers: Endgame moment. Watching Sam Wilson deliberate over accepting the Captain America shield adds nuance and depth to his character - but only if he eventually does make the leap. To kill him off now is a waste of everyone's time. Falcon should live to annoy Bucky another day.
Bucky Barnes should also survive in Falcon & The Winter Soldier, although his chances aren't quite as healthy as Sam's. In this new phase of his 100-year story, Bucky is attempting to make amends for the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier, but still endures the demons of his past. Buck is especially haunted by RJ Nakajima - an innocent bystander ruthlessly killed for witnessing the Winter Soldier in action - and the reformed Barnes has now befriended RJ's father to atone. With Bucky looking to redeem himself after decades of brainwashed blood-spilling, Falcon & Winter Soldier has a clear route toward killing the character by having him die in the process of protecting innocent civilians. Sebastian Stan has been part of the MCU for an awfully long time (since 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger) and Falcon & The Winter Soldier could be his swansong.
But it probably won't be. Aside from the question of whether Marvel Studios would kill such a long-serving character on Disney+ instead of the big screen, it makes little sense to let Bucky go so soon after he survived the battle against Thanos. Bucky's story could've ended conclusively in Avengers: Endgame if Steve Rogers' ever-faithful friend gave his life to protect Captain America - just as he did when they were youngsters in Brooklyn. But Bucky survived the battle, and Falcon & The Winter Soldier is the MCU's first opportunity to explore Sebastian Stan's character without the shadow of his super soldier bestie. Like Sam Wilson, Bucky is a character in transition, and MCU fans need to see the butterfly at the end of that process, instead of finding a squashed cocoon under Kevin Feige's boot.
Bucky is also useful in the sense that he goes off-grid so often, he doesn't need to be killed off. The likes of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers always needed to be accounted for when an emergency arose, but Bucky can slip in and out of the shadows as needed.
Rarely has an MCU character attracted hatred as quickly and naturally as Falcon & Winter Soldier's new Captain America. Even Thanos had a bigger percentage of the audience rooting for him. Walker has a rich history in the Marvel comics, taking over as Captain America before losing control and developing his own identity as U.S. Agent. The comic books leave plenty of scope for Wyatt Russell's character to become a long-term addition to the MCU's ever-growing cast. With that said, it's not immediately obvious where John Walker could fit into Phase 4 and beyond, as a hero or a villain.
As early as Falcon & The Winter Soldier episode 3, Walker has become "bad Cap," roughing up suspects and doing everything Steve Rogers would balk at. At this rate, Walker could make the jump to U.S. Agent (or a version of U.S. Agent) before Falcon & The Winter Soldier's debut season comes to an end, condensing his most important comic run into six episodes.
John Walker's death in Falcon & The Winter Soldier would serve the overarching direction of the MCU. The path would be cleared for Sam Wilson to finally wield the shield as Steve Rogers intended, and the failure of John Walker might deter the government from any further create-your-own-Avenger experiments. An obstacle to progress in the MCU, John Walker may not hang around beyond Falcon & The Winter Soldier.
The leader of the Flag-Smashers, Karli Morgenthau is the de facto villain of Falcon & The Winter Soldier. With her super strength and terrorist status, Karli sits proudly atop John Walker and Sam Wilson's respective hit lists, but the moral battle lines aren't all that clear. Despite being designated an enemy, Karli's group are delivering food to children displaced by billions of blipped-out folk returning to life. As evil schemes go, it's hardly the most despicable. For this reason, Karli should survive Falcon & The Winter Soldier.
In episode 3, Karli's tactics take a more violent turn, as she shocks her allies by detonating a building with security guards still inside. These crimes cannot be forgiven, and Karli will likely end up jailed come Falcon & The Winter Soldier's finale, but her noble intentions should at least deter the Marvel Studios Grim Reaper. Should Falcon & The Winter Soldier season 2 ever happen, Karli would be perfect for a redemption arc.
There's something strange about Sharon in Falcon & The Winter Soldier. Apparently, the former SHIELD agent is still a wanted woman after helping Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War, and Carter is currently hiding out in Madripoor, where she's fashioned herself a lifestyle of luxury. But Sharon's story isn't adding up. Why would she not be granted clemency when Sam, Bucky and the others were all more or less pardoned? Would a woman of Sharon's talents really switch careers to become a art dealer? And why are Sam and Bucky a "problem" for her in Madripoor?
Falcon & Winter Soldier could be setting up a villainous 180 for Sharon Carter, perhaps even revealing her as the mysterious Power Broker. Finding their old friend on the wrong side of the tracks, Sam and Bucky could be forced into a deadly clash against Sharon and her followers, and despite the Power Broker boasting a formidable reputation, Emily VanCamp's character will likely come off worse. If Sharon has broken bad, there's far more mileage in her as an antagonist than a few episodes of Falcon & The Winter Soldier can accommodate. For this very reason, Sharon Carter should survive the series, and continue disappointing her great aunt for years to come.
Much like Falcon, Baron Zemo is getting a new lease of life in the MCU. Making his grand return after debuting in Captain America: Civil War, Daniel Brühl's Zemo is finally a supervillain. He has the supervillain mask, the supervillain wealth, the supervillain butler and the supervillain fighting moves, none of which he previously utilized to the fullest extent. To kill off Zemo immediately after his Falcon & The Winter Soldier reinvention would be nothing short of criminal. The character must also live long enough to reveal his hand. The Sokovian Baron is cooperating with Sam and Bucky for now, but inevitably has an ulterior motive, and until those designs are revealed, Zemo's MCU status is secured.
The presence of Ayo, a Dora Milaje warrior, in Falcon & Winter Soldier episode 3 does sprinkle a little danger onto Baron Zemo's comeback. The Wakandans are understandably unhappy that King T'Chaka's killer is on the loose, and should Ayo catch up to her prey, even Zemo couldn't talk his way out of a beating. But to die on the end of Wakanda's blade would be far too simple. Baron Zemo's ultimate goal is to end the Avengers and settle a personal vendetta, and that quest feels like it's only just beginning.
Falcon & The Winter Soldier introduces Torres as a military intelligence officer and assistant to Sam Wilson, effectively becoming Falcon's sidekick in a nod to the comic character of the same name. Torres is hopelessly loyal, eager to please, and foolishly brave - and that's exactly what'll get him killed before Falcon & The Winter Soldier wraps up. The MCU has little use for the traditional superhero-sidekick dynamic, meaning Torres probably won't become a permanent addition at Anthony Mackie's side. This combination of being simultaneously likable and dispensable is always perilous, as Torres can be killed off at any time for an emotional exclamation point. As the situation with the Flag-Smashers heats up, Torres might get in too deep and find himself on the wrong end of Karli's rampage, adding a personal edge to Sam Wilson's mission.
Torres has been mooted as a potential replacement for Falcon when Sam Wilson is promoted to Captain America. While this superhero reshuffle can't be ruled out, remember when Paul Bettany said to expect a "big MCU cameo" in WandaVision? If Falcon & The Winter Soldier's showrunner hints that Torres has a future, he definitely doesn't.
If one dead sidekick isn't enough, how about two? Clé Bennett is John Walker's right-hand man, ably serving the new Captain America as Battlestar. Similar to Torres, Battlestar finds himself occupying the periphery of Falcon & The Winter Soldier, and so his safety is far from guaranteed. The death of Hoskins could act as the trigger to finally push Walker over the edge, fully turning the new Captain America toward the dark side. Walker's methods have already become questionable since the iconic vibranium shield was placed in his trust, but if he were to lose Battlestar during a mission, Cap 2.0 could use the incident to justify even more extreme measures, perceiving the death of his closest friend as weakness on his part. Walker might even resolve to become stronger by turning himself into a super soldier, vowing never to let another comrade die on his watch - whatever the cost. The amount of potential story routes created by Battlestar's death is not a good sign for the character's longevity.
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